Signing players off the back of a successful World Cup has become an all-too-common theme in football, and Liverpool’s capture of Ukrainian flop Andriy Voronin is a testament to that.

Whether Rafael Benitez was feeling a bit lazy and fancied doing his all-important scouting from the comfort of his armchair or Liverpool were genuinely long-term admirers of the former Bayer Leverkusen man (which carries a little more credence owing to the fact they met in the Champions League in 2005), we don’t know. However, what we are a little surer of is that Voronin was an absolute disaster following his free transfer from Germany in February 2007.

Now, that may sound a little harsh, but come on. People paid good money to watch him play, and he barely did anything. Even a desperately overweight, by-line sniffing 31-year-old Robbie Fowler was much better value, and he was way past his best.

Funnily enough, when Voronin finally did get his chance to shine he actually looked a fairly decent player – which has us wondering, what on earth went wrong? He scored a vital goal in the Champions League qualifiers in Toulouse, and league goals against Sunderland and Derby soon followed. Although this “achievement” should be taken with a pinch of salt for obvious reasons.

The pony-tailed crusader continued his “form” before hitting an injury snag at the beginning of 2008. Happy new year to you, Andriy. Although he made his return at the end of the season and reminded fans that he still existed (we had forgotten ourselves) netting against Blackburn and Tottenham, six goals in 28 league appearances is a pretty poor return.

Rafa Benitez, probably aware that Voronin was making a mockery of his judgement (and scouting techniques *cough* television *cough*), sent the forward on loan to Hertha Berlin for the entirety of the 2000/09 season before allowing him to warm the bench the following year for half a season prior to his exit in January in 2010.

Some say the Ukrainian was reincarnated in the form of Andy Carroll a few years later, and we are inclined to believe that given just how awful the pair of them were. Then again, even the Englishman looked better than our man Voronin.

Liverpool fans, Andriy Voronin…thoughts? Was he the worst signing Rafa Benitez made? Let us know in the comments below…

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According to The Daily Mail, Garry Monk has become the leading candidate for the West Brom job next season with James Shan only set to be in charge until the end of the current campaign.

What’s the word?

Although the managerial debacle that faced West Brom has been put to bed for the time being, it won’t be long before it becomes the centre of everyone’s attention at the Hawthorns again.

In March, Darren Moore was dismissed from his position, before the club then failed to land two targets in Slavisa Jokanovic and Alex Neil.

It didn’t ever seem like the Baggies board had a proper plan in place, and as such, caretaker boss Shan was given the reins.

However, he’s done an impressive job so far, negotiating choppy waters to steady the ship, winning six out of his nine games in charge.

But Birmingham manager Monk could be about to make a controversial switch from their Midlands rivals, per The Daily Mail. He has been revealed as the leading candidate to take over permanently, regardless of whether Albion achieve promotion.

Not a long term answer

West Brom need managerial stability. In recent years they’ve had plenty of short term appointments, which never seem to end well.

Monk is a fantastic manager at Championship level but the 40-year-old doesn’t stick around for too long. He’s never been at a club for longer than a season, departing Swansea, Middlesbrough and Leeds in pretty quick time.

As a result, there’s no guarantee he stay for the long haul at Albion, particularly if they went up and were to fail in the Premier League.

Was Darren Moore’s sacking unfair? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name which Championship bosses should have gone instead in the video below…

If West Brom achieve promotion then they’ll likely need someone who’s previously done well in the top-flight. Meanwhile, if they fail to go up, then Monk would only represent a short term fix.

Shan has offered stability in his short term in charge of the club so far and there isn’t too much to suggest that Monk would do a better job.

Although he was able to resolve Birmingham’s problems before a points deduction, his potential appointment would show a distinct lack of ambition from the hierarchy at the Hawthorns. They must look elsewhere.

[ad_pod ]Ayoze Perez stole the headlines for the Toon on Saturday with his first hat-trick for the Magpies and what a well taken one it was too but Perez was not the only Newcastle player to impress.Paul Dummet was excellent at the back, particularly after Southampton pulled one back to make things nervy before Perez wrapped up his treble to seal the win.The Welsh international was superb with a number of key blocks, tackles and clearances throughout as Newcastle sealed their Premier League status for another season.

Dummett’s return from injury in recent weeks has become even more important because of the loss of Florian Lejeune to injury, as he has slotted in next to Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles seamlessly.

And the unsung hero may finally get the recognition he deserves as Alan Shearer named him in his Team of the Week, which has delighted Toon fans on Twitter.

One Newcastle fan called the 27-year-old the “Kenton Maldini” and another said “Great to see our Paul Dummett getting the nod, alongside Perez.”

Take a look at some of the best fan reactions down below…

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Bright Enobakhare has had a thoroughly successful loan spell with League One side Coventry in the second half of the campaign.

His performances have been excellent for the Sky Blues and, despite only being with the club since January, he was named their young player of the year.

However, while discussing whether he should get another chance at Molineux on Twitter, Wolves supporters were split on the future of the 21-year-old.

One fan said that by keeping him around he could save the club £20m in future investment in the transfer market. Two other supporters meanwhile made comparisons between him and Adama Traore, claiming that Enobakhare had the same dribbling ability but a better final ball.

However, there were less convincing responses too with a further tweet suggesting Niall Ennis was higher up in the pecking order and another commenting that he wasn’t ready yet.

In 18 matches since arriving at the Ricoh, Enobakhare has scored six goals. He was able to play a bit part throughout Wolves’ Championship winning campaign last year, playing in 21 matches.

Here’s the best of the Twitter discussion surrounding the Nigerian’s future:

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Blamed. Criticised. Some fans even want him to be sold after it. David de Gea came in for some torrential criticism after Leroy Sane’s goal settled the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The German’s strike was right at De Gea, but the Spaniard couldn’t keep it out and instead diverted it into the back of his own net.

After his error inside the Camp Nou against Barcelona, and his ineffectiveness as Everton thrashed the Red Devils by four goals to nil, the finger is being pointed at a man who has set such high standards for himself over the years, that any dip in form is met with shock and surprise.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

However, Sane’s goal was not his fault.

Instead, the blame should lie at the feet of Matteo Darmian.

Why on earth did one of the Premier League’s best wide players have the entirety of Old Trafford to himself from the moment he received the ball to when he put it in the back of the net?

Darmian had already made a mistake before Raheem Sterling released the former Schalke man in on goal. The Italian international was nowhere to be seen, instead hiding behind his centre-back – quite literally – before not even looking interested in closing the shot down.

Sergio Aguero had made a run across goal to free up some space for Sane, but it was a movement that Chris Smalling had covered – the Italian international didn’t need to track the Argentine as well whilst Smalling was doing likewise.

To make matters worse, as I briefly touched on beforehand, when Darmian had realised the error of his ways, he didn’t even make a desperate attempt to block the shot, which is the bare minimum expected from a player who has messed up.

Instead, the former Torino man simply watched Sane draw back his deadly left foot, before rifling a shot towards the target – to be frank, it was pathetic from Darmian, and was deserving of Roy Keane’s scathing assessment following the final whistle.

It has been a torrid season for everyone involved with Huddersfield Town, hasn’t it?

From the opening fixture of the year, it was worryingly clear that the Terriers were way out of their depth in the Premier League and so it was of little surprise that they became the first team to be relegated last month after losing at Crystal Palace.

Whereas some sides enjoy playing without pressure, this has not been the case so far for the Yorkshire-based outfit as they have extended their run of defeats in the top flight to nine games. Having been hammered in their previous two outings against Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur, you wouldn’t blame the club’s supporters for wanting the 2018/19 campaign to come to a premature close.

With an incredibly important summer ahead for the Terriers, the last thing that they need is rumours swirling about the possibility of a change of ownership. However, this is exactly what is happening as owner Dean Hoyle has reportedly received a bid for the club in the region of £50m from an unknown consortium and may be willing to negotiate in the summer (via the Daily Star). If this is indeed the case, the 52-year-old must reconsider his stance on a future takeover as if Huddersfield fall into the wrong hands, they could be unwillingly heading towards disaster.

In the past decade alone, Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic have fell victim of a change in ownership which has resulted in relegation to the third tier just years after they were competing in England’s top division. The last thing that any Terriers fan will want next season is to suffer the same fate as these two clubs and therefore it would be wise for Hoyle to oversee matters in the summer.

Indeed, it could be argued that the businessman’s modest investments over the past two years have held the club back to a certain extent but in reality, it was always going to be a tough task to compete financially with the rest of the Premier League.

What do you think Huddersfield fans? Would you like Hoyle to stay at the club in the summer? Or do you think that it is time he stepped aside? Let us know below.

[ad_pod ]Huddersfield Town fans are looking forward to seeing Rajiv van La Parra return to the club after his loan spell at Middlesbrough comes to an end in the summer.The Dutch winger fell out of favour this season at the John Smith’s Stadium and was loaned out to the Teesside outfit in January.Following the club’s relegation to the Championship fans are hoping that the 27-year-old will have a part to play next term.

Van La Parra played a huge role in Huddersfield’s promotion season and Terriers fans will be hoping that he can replicate that form in order to fire Jan Siewert’s side back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Those supporters have suggested that the club had missed his pace and desire to carry the ball into dangerous positions this season as the Yorkshire outfit’s frontline has often failed them.

One individual was worried about how he will fit in the squad, but still expressed the fact that he thinks he’s a quality player who should be utilised in the team.

The Terriers have only scored 20 goals in 35 games so far in the league this season so fans are excited to welcome back the dynamic Dutchman.

Here’s what Huddersfield fans have been saying on Twitter…

استقبل عمرو الجنايني رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، وأعضاء اللجنة الخماسية المكلفة بإدارة الاتحاد، محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي الأهلي، ظهر اليوم الإثنين، بمقر الجبلاية.

وشهد اللقاء الحديث حول عدد من الأمور المتعلقة باللائحة الجديدة والاستفسارات الخاصة برابطة الأندية المحترفة.

اقرأ ايضًا.. محمد صبحي: شقيق محمد صلاح استقبلني بطريقة سيئة ومنحني 100 جنيه.. وعضو الأهلي “عملي بلوك”

حضر اللقاء أحمد عبد الله ومحمد فضل والدكتورة سحر عبد الحق أعضاء اللجنة الخماسية ووليد العطار المدير التنفيذي للاتحاد.

وتوج الأهلي بلقب الدوري المصري الممتاز للموسم المنقضي، للمرة الـ42 في تاريخه والخامسة على التوالي، بعدما حسم اللقب رسميًا قبل انتهاء المسابقة بسبعة أسابيع.

Sunderland fans are desperate for a goalscorer, and in this out of-contract Scottish goal machine, they may have just found one. The Black Cats have been unable to bring in a suitable replacement for Josh Maja, who scored 15 League One goals this season before leaving in January, but if they signed Lawrence Shankland they’d have a worthy man to fill his shoes.

The 23-year-old goalscorer has left Ayr United after two seasons plying his trade for The Honest Men and his goal return in his time with the club is absolutely incredible. Shankland has bagged himself an unprecedented 63 goals in 74 games, endearing himself to the supporters at Somerset Park and really leaving his mark in his two seasons with the club, and now he could be set for Sunderland.

When you have a goalscoring record like Shankland does at Ayr United, it’s hard to see why there wouldn’t be dozens of clubs lining up to poach the striker. The level at which his goals have come might mean that the top-level Premier League clubs won’t be after him, but with Sunderland competing in either League One of the Championship, Shankland is well worth a punt south of the border.

This season alone has seen the phenomenal 23-year-old contribute 34 goals and eight assists in 41 games in all competitions. If he can carry that on in England in either the second or third tier of English football with Sunderland then there’s no reason why he can’t kick on and become a household name for the Mackems and one day leave the club and generate a massive profit.

With that profit in mind, it’s worth mentioning that if Jack Ross was coy enough to make a quick move and offer Lawrence Shankland a role at the Stadium of Light for next season he would come in on a free as his deal with Ayr United is up. That may result in the Scot finding himself on larger wages, but with no transfer fee involved it certainly wouldn’t hurt to give the impressive youngster a go.

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Liverpool are considering a move for Benfica wonderkid Joao Felix, Sportsmail claims.

What’s the story?

Mail Online and Sportsmail have produced a list of 12 likely transfer targets for Liverpool this summer, and the Reds were linked with a £61m bid for Felix back in January.

According to Sportsmail’s update, Liverpool are still considering a swoop for the 19 year-old, but he has a release clause of a whopping £105m.

However, the report claims Jurgen Klopp “has resources to dip into if the right calibre of player becomes available”, despite a willingness not to spend big just for the sake of it.

Do they need him?

Common sense would suggest Liverpool will pursue a versatile forward and a creative midfielder this summer, as those are the two positions they lacked depth in last season.

With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming off a lengthy injury and Naby Keita not quite living up to expectations yet, a creative player in the middle of the park is a must.

However, with Daniel Sturridge expected to depart on a free transfer, an adequate deputy for Roberto Firmino should be the top priority, and Felix could be exactly that.

Is he good enough?

The teenager had a stunning breakout campaign with Benfica, grabbing 19 goals and eight assists.

Like Firmino, he plays up front but is by no means a traditional number nine, often dropping deep or drifting wide to create space for the wingers.

He has an eye for an incisive pass and loves unleashing shots from long-distance; two strengths of his game that will help the Reds unlock deep-lying defences.

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

The youngster will need to work on his pressing – he averaged just 0.5 tackles per game this season while Firmino managed one per match – but this is a crease that can be ironed out in a young player.

Felix is a once-in-a-generation prospect, and is perhaps one of the few youngsters in world football capable of replicating what Firmino gives the Anfield faithful week in, week out.

Even at £105m, Klopp should be very tempted to go all in on this one.